The present invention relates to a vibratory conveyor having a base frame, having a vibrating frame that can be set into vibratory motion relative to the base frame by a vibratory drive, and having a conveyor trough formed by a flexible continuous mat, the flexible mat forming the conveyor trough being connected alternately to the base frame and to the vibrating frame at connection points that are at a distance from one another, seen in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor trough, a respective mat segment being situated between each two connection points adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor trough, the vibrating frame being capable of being set into a vibration relative to the base frame by the vibratory drive such that mat segments adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor trough are alternately tensioned and relaxed in a push-pull mode, the connection points being situated on traverses that run transverse to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor trough at a distance from one another, and each first traverse being connected to the base frame and each second traverse being connected to the vibrating frame respectively, in alternating fashion.
First vibratory conveyors of the type named above are known from US 2013/126398 A1 and from US 2005/274653 A1. These vibratory conveyors have a base frame having a vibrating frame that is mounted on the base frame and that can be set into vibratory movement relative to the base frame by a vibratory drive, and having a conveyor trough formed by a flexible mat, the flexible continuous mat forming the conveyor trough being connected alternately to the base frame and to the vibrating frame at connection points that are at a distance from one another, seen in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor trough, a respective mat segment being situated between each two connection points adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor trough, and the vibrating frame being capable of being set into a vibratory motion relative to the base frame by the vibratory drive of the vibrating frame such that mat segments adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor trough are alternately tensioned and relaxed in a push-pull mode.
Another vibratory conveyor is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,046 A. This vibratory conveyor has a continuous flexible conveyor trough that is fixed at its longitudinal edges to the vibrating frame. The vibrating frame is mounted on the base frame by levers and springs, and can be set into vibration by the vibratory drive, whereby the flexible conveyor trough changes its static shape and exerts a conveyor effect on conveyed material situated thereon.
Another vibratory conveyor is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,694 A. This vibratory conveyor has a longitudinally extended membrane as conveyor trough, clamped continuously at its lateral edges in the vibrating frame. The vibrating frame is mounted in the base frame so as to be capable of vibration, and can be set into vibration by the vibratory drive in such a way that standing waves form in the membrane that bring about a conveying of the conveyed material on the membrane.
In practical use of such vibratory conveyors, it has turned out to be a problem that they do not offer the possibility of influencing the distribution of the conveyed material in the conveyor trough. In addition, it is disadvantageous that, depending on the material to be conveyed, a layer of conveyed material forms on the surface of the conveyor trough that is adhesive and that becomes increasingly thicker, which layer increasingly loads the conveyor trough and impairs the conveying effect of the vibratory conveyor. It is therefore necessary to regularly remove the adhering conveyed material layer, which practically can only be done manually, and in each case requires the vibratory conveyor to be shut off.